Algae, Fuel of the Future is a half-hour documentary that reveals the global search underway to develop a renewable energy source from algae. The film explores the groundbreaking research being done by the National Research Council in Halifax, Nova Scotia and explains why algae fuel isn't that far-fetched. It could be a commercially viable option since the crude oil we currently ...

The octopus is a close cousin of the oyster and snail. And yet, even by human standards the multi-limbed creature is considered highly intelligent. In this Nature of Things documentary, scientists from around the world test the formidable brain power of this brilliant creature and reveal some very human traits. The octopus exhibits curiosity, cognitive reasoning and abstract thinking. Just how has ...

For too long, we have held the mistaken belief that the world was created entirely for our benefit. As countless plant and animal species become extinct, our generous planet has little left to offer: clean water and lush forests are becoming increasingly rare. The film ends, however, on a positive note: Frédéric Back cherishes the hope that future generations will ...

Allergies, the result of an auto-immune condition caused by a defective gene, cost North America's health care systems billions of dollars annually. This program examines research in genetic engineering and molecular biology that may point to the possible cause and cure of allergies. It also profiles a patient who has been forced to live in virtual isolation in order to ...

In this episode, we follow Zeb as he goes in search of one of North America’s most misunderstood monster fish: the alligator gar. These bizarre creatures reach lengths of 10 feet and have a mouthful of razor–sharp teeth.

A look at alternative medicine. Interviews with Dr. Bruce Pomeranz of the University of Toronto, Dr. Jock Murray (former dean of the Dalhousie Medical School), Dr. Herbert Benson of the Mind-Body Institute of Harvard, Margaret Naeser of the VA Hospital in Boston, Eileen Stewart of a cardiac rehabilitation program, Dr. Bala Manyam (professor of neurology in Illinois), Dr. David Taylor-Reilly ...

As the story unfolds, Amanda witnesses the rapid decline of her mother, Susan, who is only 39 years of age. Fearing she could meet the same fate within 15-20 years, Amanda faces the wrenching dilemma when offered a gene test that can conclusively determine her own destiny. New treatments and preventative measures are explored offering hope for Alzheimer's patients in ...

Dr. Zeb Hogan travels to the American Midwest in search of the paddlefish, one of the largest, oldest and most bizarre-looking freshwater fish on the planet. Zeb teams up with biologists and conservation officers to better understand what’s causing the decline of this American behemoth and what’s being done to prevent it.

Eight hundred years before the notorious Black Death plague, another pandemic devastated Europe. The Justinian plague wiped out up to half the population and is thought to have contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire. But not that much had been known about it — until now. Dr. Hendrik Poinar, an evolutionary geneticist at McMaster University, analysed the teeth ...